FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase gene

ABSTRACT

An object of the present invention is to provide: a novel gene (polynucleotide) encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having excellent properties that it has excellent reactivity to glucose, excellent thermal stability, and excellent substrate-recognition performance and also has a low activity for maltose; a process for the production of the enzyme using a transformant cell transfected with the gene; and a method for the determination of glucose, a reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose, a biosensor for use in the determination of glucose and others, each characterized by using the enzyme obtained. The invention relates to a polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, comprising a polypeptide containing an amino acid sequence: X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6 (wherein X1 and X2 independently represent an aliphatic amino acid residue; X3 and X6 independently represent a branched amino acid residue; and X4 and X5 independently represent a heterocyclic amino acid residue or an aromatic amino acid residue); and others.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a novel gene (polynucleotide) encodinga flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) conjugated glucose dehydrogenase; aprocess for the production of the enzyme using a transformant celltransfected with the gene; a recombinant FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase; and a method for the determination of glucose, a reagentcomposition for use in the determination of glucose, a biosensor for usein the determination of glucose and others, each characterized by usingthe enzyme.

BACKGROUND ART

The blood glucose level is an important marker for diabetes. As for anexamination for diabetes, other than a clinical examination performed ina hospital laboratory or the like, a simple determination (point-of-caretesting (POCT)) such as a simple examination by a medical staff memberor the like or a self-examination by a patient himself or herself isperformed.

This simple determination is performed using a glucose diagnostic kit ora determination device (POCT device) such as a biosensor, and in such aPOCT device, conventionally a glucose oxidase has been used. However,such a glucose oxidase is affected by a dissolved oxygen concentrationand an error in the measured value is caused. Therefore, it isrecommended to use of a glucose dehydrogenase which is not affected byoxygen.

Examples of the glucose dehydrogenase include a coenzyme-unconjugatedglucose dehydrogenase which requires nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide(NAD) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP) as acoenzyme and a coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase which requirespyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) or thelike as a coenzyme. Among these, the coenzyme-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase has advantages that the enzyme is less likely to beaffected by impurities as compared with the coenzyme-unconjugatedglucose dehydrogenase, the determination sensitivity is high, andfurther, in principle, the POCT device can be produced at low cost.

However, a conventional PQQ-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase has lowstability and also has a disadvantage that it reacts also with maltoseand galactose. Maltose is a sugar used in an infusion, and when thePQQ-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase reacts with maltose, a bloodglucose POCT device displays a higher blood glucose level than theactual value. Due to this, a patient administers an unnecessary insulininjection to the patient himself or herself, resulting in the occurrenceof a hypoglycemic event such as impaired consciousness or comatosestates, which has been a big problem.

In particular, as for the current use of the blood glucose POCT device,not only it is used for simply determining the blood glucose, butimportance as a means for self-care and self-treatment by a patient isincreasing and the use of a self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG)device to be used for the purpose at home is expanding. Therefore, thedemand for determination accuracy is considered to be very high.

In fact, an official notice to draw attention about the use of a bloodglucose meter using an enzyme requiring PQQ as a coenzyme was issuedfrom the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in Japan in February2005 to patients under administration of maltose infusion or dialysatecontaining icodextrin (Pharmaceutical and Food Safety Bureau Notice No.0207005 issued on Feb. 7, 2005, etc.).

On the other hand, as the coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenasewhich catalyzes the dehydrogenation reaction of glucose and requires FADas a coenzyme, an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-derived enzyme (J. Biol.Chem. (1967) 242: 3665-3672), a Cytophaga marinoflava-derived enzyme(Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. (1996) 56: 301-310), a Halomonas sp.α-15-derived enzyme (Enzyme Microb. Technol. (1998) 22: 269-274), anAgaricus bisporus-derived enzyme (Arch. Microbiol. (1997) 167: 119-125,Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. (1999) 51: 58-64), and a Macrolepiotarhacodes-derived enzyme (Arch. Microbiol. (2001) 176: 178-186) have beenreported. However, these enzymes oxidize a hydroxy group at the 2-and/or 3-position of glucose, have a high activity for maltose, and havea low selectivity for glucose. Further, a coenzyme-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Burkholderia cepacia having a high activityfor maltose in the same manner is also known. However, an originalnaturally occurring enzyme is a heterooligomer enzyme comprising threekinds of subunits: α, β, and γ, and is known as a membrane-bound enzyme.Therefore, there are problems that a lysis treatment is required forobtaining this enzyme, simultaneous cloning of a necessary subunit isrequired for exhibiting a sufficient activity by cloning, and so on.

On the other hand, the present inventors have purified a novel solublecoenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase which requires FAD as acoenzyme and is not a membrane-bound type from Aspergillus terreus(Patent document 1). This coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenasedescribed in Patent document 1 has unprecedented excellent propertiesthat it oxidizes a hydroxy group at the 1-position of glucose, hasexcellent substrate (glucose) recognition performance, is not affectedby dissolved oxygen, and also has a low activity for maltose (theactivity for maltose is 5% or less and the activity for galactose isalso 5% or less with the activity for glucose taken as 100%).

However, the coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase described inPatent document 1 is isolated and extracted from a liquid culture of awild-type microorganism (such as a microorganism belonging to the genusAspergillus), and the production amount thereof is limited. Besides thefact that the production amount of the enzyme is extremely small, alarge amount of sugars are linked to the enzyme, and the enzyme is inthe form covered with sugars which are different from N-linked orO-linked sugar chains bound to a common enzyme (which might be called “asugar-embedded enzyme”). Therefore, the activity of the enzyme isdifficult to detect (the enzymatic activity is low), the sugar chainscannot be enzymatically or chemically removed, and as a result, inelectrophoresis, almost no staining is achieved by common proteinstaining (coomassie brilliant blue G-250 or the like), and also it isdifficult to read amino terminal and internal amino acid sequences ofthe enzyme which provide information necessary for acquiring a gene fromthe enzyme subjected to a common purification procedure. Accordingly, itis not publicly known that the cloning of a gene of this enzyme wassuccessful or the expression of the activity of this enzyme wasconfirmed.

On the other hand, the existence of a coenzyme-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae was suggested in 1967(Non-patent document 1). However, only partial enzymatic properties wererevealed, and although a property that the enzyme does not act onmaltose was suggested, there has been no detailed report with respect tothe coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillusoryzae since then, and also there has been no subsequent report withrespect to a coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived fromother microorganisms or an enzyme which oxidizes a hydroxy group at the1-position of glucose, and also no report with respect to the amino acidsequence or gene of the coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase hasbeen found at all.

Further, an idea of using a glucose dehydrogenase EC 1. 1. 99. 10 inglucose determination (see Patent document 2) is known, however, anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase has not been produced at apractical level, and the enzyme has not been actually used in a sensoror put into a practical use. The reason is considered that the activityof this enzyme in microbial cells was very low, and even if the enzymewas secreted to the outside of microbial cells, the amount thereof wasvery small, and moreover, the enzyme was covered with a large amount ofsugars, and therefore the activity was low, and even the detectionthereof was difficult, and thus the gene thereof could not be cloned.

Patent document 1: WO 2004/058958

Patent document 2: JP-A-59-25700

Non-patent document 1: Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 139, 277-293, 1967

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems that the Invention is to Solve

As genetic engineering methods for modifying a PQQ-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase, a lot of techniques have already been known, and theseconventional techniques mainly provide a modified PQQ-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase for improving disadvantages of the conventionalPQQ-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase such as low substrate specificityand low stability of the enzyme and a modified genetic material forproducing the modified PQQ-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase by geneticengineering.

However, in the case of the modified PQQ-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase produced using the modified genetic material, the activityfor maltose is still more than about 10% with the activity for glucosetaken as 100%, or as a result of decreasing the reactivity to maltose,also the primary reactivity (specific activity) to glucose is decreased.Therefore, the function as a glucose sensor is not sufficient from theviewpoint of the activity determined by an electrochemical determinationmethod using a sufficient amount of a substrate, and the currentsituation is that the enzyme cannot be used in a POCT device or thelike. In addition, the coenzyme PQQ required for the expression of theactivity of the PQQ-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase has a problem thatit cannot be produced in Escherichia coli which is widely and generallyused as a recombinant host and it is necessary to produce a recombinantby limiting it to a host microorganism that produces PQQ (Pseudomonas orthe like).

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to solve the above problemsand to provide a novel gene (polynucleotide) encoding an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase having excellent properties that it has excellentreactivity to glucose, excellent thermal stability, and excellentsubstrate-recognition performance and also has a low activity formaltose; a process for the production of the enzyme using a transformantcell transfected with the gene; and a method for the determination ofglucose, a reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose,a biosensor for use in the determination of glucose and others, eachcharacterized by using the obtained enzyme.

Means for Solving the Problems

The present inventors made intensive studies in order to achieve theabove object, and as a result, they found that in order to significantlyexpress an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase in an Aspergillus oryzaestrain, it was necessary that an amino acid sequence (AGVPWV) becontained in a polypeptide encoding a gene of the enzyme, and alsoconfirmed that the activity was substantially lost when at least oneamino acid residue in the amino acid sequence was deleted, and thus, theinvention was completed. That is, the invention relates to the followingaspects.

[Aspect 1] A polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase, comprising a polypeptide containing an amino acidsequence: X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6 (wherein X1 and X2 independently representan aliphatic amino acid residue; X3 and X6 independently represent abranched amino acid residue; and X4 and X5 independently represent aheterocyclic amino acid residue or an aromatic amino acid residue).

[Aspect 2] A polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide (a), (b) or (c)defined below:

(a) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence represented bySEQ ID NO: 1;

(b) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence havingsubstitution, deletion, or addition of one to several amino acidresidues in the amino acid sequence of the amino acid sequence (a) andhas an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity; or

(c) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence having ahomology of 70% or more to the amino acid sequence (a) and has anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity.

[Aspect 3] A polynucleotide (d), (e) or (f) defined below:

(d) a polynucleotide which comprises a base sequence represented by SEQID NO: 2 or 3;

(e) a polynucleotide which hybridizes to a polynucleotide comprising abase sequence complementary to a polynucleotide comprising abasesequence (d) under stringent conditions and encodes a polypeptide havingan FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity; or

(f) a polynucleotide which comprises a base sequence having a homologyof 70% or more to the polynucleotide comprising a base sequence (d) andencodes a polypeptide having an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenaseactivity.

[Aspect 4] A polynucleotide which has a DNA fragment amplifiable by PCRusing a combination of a sense primer comprising a base sequenceencoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV with a reverse primercomprising a base sequence on the 3′-terminal side of a polynucleotideencoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived fromAspergillus oryzae or a combination of an antisense primer for a basesequence encoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV with a forward primercomprising a base sequence on the 5′-terminal side of a polynucleotideencoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived fromAspergillus oryzae, and encodes a polypeptide having an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase activity.

[Aspect 5] A polynucleotide which hybridizes to a probe comprising abase sequence encoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV under stringentconditions and encodes a polypeptide having an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity.

[Aspect 6] A polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae, characterized by showinga value of enzymatic activity for maltose of 10% or less and a value ofenzymatic activity for D-galactose of 5% or less with a value ofenzymatic activity for D-glucose taken as 100%.

[Aspect 7] A polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae, characterized by havingan enzymatic activity of 300 U/mg or more.

[Aspect 8] A recombinant vector containing the above polynucleotide.

[Aspect 9] A transformant cell produced using the above recombinantvector.

[Aspect 10] A process for the production of an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase, characterized by culturing the above transformant cell,and collecting an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having anactivity to dehydrogenate glucose from the resulting culture.

[Aspect 11] A recombinant FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase encodedby the above polynucleotide.

[Aspect 12] A method for the determination of glucose, characterized byusing the above FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase.

[Aspect 13] A reagent composition for use in the determination ofglucose, characterized by comprising the above FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase.

[Aspect 14] A biosensor for use in the determination of glucose,characterized by using the above FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase.

Advantage of the Invention

By using the polynucleotide of the invention, an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase having excellent properties that it has excellentsubstrate (glucose) recognition performance and also has a low activityfor maltose can be produced uniformly in a large amount by, for example,a recombinant DNA technique.

Further, in the thus produced enzyme, the sugar amount which is aproblem of the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can be controlledaccording to the purpose, and therefore, by preparing the enzyme inwhich the sugar content has been reduced, in the determination of bloodglucose or the like, it is also possible to alter the activity forsugars (such as glucose) in a sample.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a calibration curve of glucose concentration using anenzyme-immobilized electrode.

FIG. 2 shows the detection results of a target gene by PCR. The symbolsin the drawing are as follows. M: 200 bp DNA ladder marker (manufacturedby Takara Bio Inc.); 1: Aspergillus oryzae NBRC4268; 2: Aspergillusoryzae NBRC 5375; 3: Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 6215; 4: Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 4181; 5: Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 4220; 6: Aspergillus oryzae NBRC100959

FIG. 3 shows the detection results of a target gene by Southernhybridization. The symbols in the drawing are the same as in FIG. 2.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

It is one of the technically important points that an amino acidsequence: X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6 (wherein X1 and X2 represent the same or adifferent aliphatic amino acid residue; X3 and X6 represent the same ora different branched amino acid residue; and X4 and X5 represent thesame or a different heterocyclic amino acid residue or aromatic aminoacid residue), in other words, a polypeptide comprising 6 amino acidresidues is contained in the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of theinvention. According to this configuration, the enzyme is significantlyexpressed in microbial cells. Incidentally, the expressed enzyme is notnecessarily secreted to the outside of microbial cells, and remains inmicrobial cells in some cases. In contrast, as specifically shown inExamples of this description, even if a gene encodes an enzymeconsidered to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase based on thehomology of the entire amino acid sequence or the like, when the genedoes not encode the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence, itdoes not express a protein having an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity.

The above-mentioned amino acid sequence comprising 6 amino acid residuesis preferably located at positions 202 to 207 of a polypeptide which isan FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, or at least one of X1 to X6 isas follows: X1 is alanine (A), X2 is glycine (G), X3 is valine (V), X4is proline (P), X5 is tryptophan (W), or X6 is valine (V). For example,as a preferred example, the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV (SEQ ID NO: 4)can be exemplified.

In the invention, the “FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase” refers to asoluble protein which catalyzes a reaction of the dehydrogenation(oxidation) of a hydroxy group at the 1-position of glucose in thepresence of an electron acceptor and has an activity for maltoserelative to the activity for glucose of 10% or less, and the enzyme ischaracterized by the following properties.

1) Flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is required as a coenzyme.

2) Oxygen is not used as an electron acceptor.

3) The activity for maltose relative to the activity for glucose is 10%or less.

Among the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenases of the invention, as theenzyme having the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV, particularly, one derivedfrom Aspergillus oryzae is preferred. Typical examples of a strainthereof include NBRC 5375 strain, NBRC 4079 strain, NBRC 4203 strain,NBRC 4214 strain, NBRC 4268 strain, NBRC 5238 strain, NBRC 6215 strain,NBRC 30104 strain, and NBRC 30113 strain as shown in the followingTable 1. The amino acid sequence: AGVPWV is contained in the amino acidsequence of the enzyme in the vicinity of positions 202 to 207 (derivedfrom NBRC 5375 strain) (in the case of an enzyme derived from otherstrain, positions corresponding to the positions) with the initiatoramino acid residue M in a signal sequence region counted as position 1.

For example, the amino acid sequence of the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase expressed by Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain isrepresented by SEQ ID NO: 1 (containing a signal peptide), the basesequence of a chromosomal DNA encoding the same is represented by SEQ IDNO: 2, and a cDNA corresponding to the amino acid residues representedby SEQ ID NO: 1 is represented by SEQ ID NO: 3. Incidentally, in SEQ IDNO: 2 or 3, the base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWVis GCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT (SEQ ID NO: 5).

Accordingly, the polynucleotide of the invention includes, in additionto those derived from Aspergillus oryzae strains described above, apolynucleotide encoding a polypeptide (a), (b) or (c) defined below:

(a) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence represented bySEQ ID NO: 1;

(b) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence havingsubstitution, deletion, or addition of one to several amino acidresidues in the amino acid sequence (a) and has an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase activity; or

(c) a polypeptide which comprises an amino acid sequence having ahomology of 70% or more to the amino acid sequence (a) and has anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity.

Further, the polynucleotide of the invention includes a polynucleotide(d), (e) or (f) defined below:

(d) a polynucleotide which comprises a base sequence represented by SEQID NO: 2 or 3;

(e) a polynucleotide which hybridizes to a polynucleotide comprising abase sequence complementary to a polynucleotide comprising abasesequence (d) under stringent conditions and encodes a polypeptide havingan FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity; or

(f) a polynucleotide which comprises a base sequence having a homologyof 70% or more to the polynucleotide comprising a base sequence (d) andencodes a polypeptide having an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenaseactivity.

In particular, it is preferred that the above polypeptide (b) or (c)contains the amino acid sequence: X1-X2-X3-X4-X5-X6, or thepolynucleotide (e) or (f) contains a base sequence encoding the aminoacid sequence. Further, it is preferred that this amino acid sequence isAGVPWV.

In this description, the amino acid sequence or base sequence having ahomology of 70% or more refers to a sequence showing a homology of atleast 70%, preferably 75% or more, more preferably 80% or more, furthermore preferably 90% or more, particularly preferably 95% or more to thefull-length of a standard sequence to be compared, respectively. Thehomology percentage of such a sequence can be calculated using adisclosed or commercially available software with an algorithm thatmakes a comparison using the standard sequence as a reference sequence.For example, BLAST, FASTA, or GENETYX (manufactured by SoftwareDevelopment Co., Ltd.), or the like can be used. These can be used withdefault parameters.

In the invention, as specific conditions for the “hybridization understringent conditions” when polynucleotides are hybridized, for example,incubation at 42° C. in 50% formamide, 5×SSC (150 mM sodium chloride, 15mM trisodium citrate, 10 mM sodium phosphate, 1 mMethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, pH 7.2), 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.1%SDS, 10% dextran sulfate, and 100 μg/mL modified salmon sperm DNA,followed by washing of the filter at 42° C. in 0.2×SSC can beexemplified.

Further, the polynucleotide of the invention includes a polynucleotidewhich has a DNA fragment amplifiable by PCR using a combination of asense primer comprising abase sequence encoding the amino acid sequence:AGVPWV with a reverse primer comprising a base sequence on the3′-terminal side of a polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae or a combination of anantisense primer for a base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence:AGVPWV with a forward primer comprising a base sequence on the5′-terminal side of a polynucleotide encoding an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae, and encodes a polypeptidehaving an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity.

Alternatively, the polynucleotide of the invention includes apolynucleotide which hybridizes to a probe comprising a base sequenceencoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV under stringent conditions andencodes a polypeptide having an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenaseactivity.

The base sequence encoding the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV is preferablyGCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT. Further, the respective conditions for theabove-mentioned PCR and hybridization under stringent conditions can besuitably selected by those skilled in the art in accordance with thedescription of Examples in this description.

Further, the polynucleotide of the invention includes a polynucleotideencoding an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, which shows a value ofenzymatic activity for maltose of 10% or less, preferably 5% or less,more preferably 3% or less, and a value of enzymatic activity forD-galactose of 5% or less, preferably 3% or less, more preferably 2% orless, further more preferably 1% or less with a value of enzymaticactivity for D-glucose taken as 100%; or a polynucleotide encoding anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having an enzymatic activity of aspecific activity per protein of 300 U/mg or more, preferably 500 U/mgor more, more preferably 1,000 U/mg or more. Incidentally, the “specificactivity per protein” as used herein is, for example, a measurementdetermined in a state confirmed as a single band by SDS-PAGE of aconcentrated culture supernatant as described in Example 7 of thisdescription.

Incidentally, in the invention, the “polynucleotide” refers to amolecule having 100 or more phosphate esters of nucleosides in which apurine or a pyrimidine is attached to a sugar via a β-N-glycosidic bond(ATP (adenosine triphosphate), GTP (guanosine triphosphate), CTP(cytidine triphosphate), or UTP (uridine triphosphate); or dATP(deoxyadenosine triphosphate), dGTP (deoxyguanosine triphosphate), dCTP(deoxycytidine triphosphate), or dTTP (deoxythymidine triphosphate).Specific examples thereof include a chromosomal DNA encoding anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, a mRNA transcribed from thechromosomal DNA, a cDNA synthesized from the mRNA, and a polynucleotideamplified by PCR using any of these as a template. An “oligonucleotide”refers to a molecule in which 2 to 99 nucleotides are linked to oneanother. Further, the “polypeptide” refers to a molecule formed from 30or more amino acid residues which are linked to one another through anamide bond (peptide bond) or an unnatural residual linkage, and alsothose with the addition of a sugar chain, those with the artificialchemical modification, and the like are included.

The most specific mode of the polynucleotide (gene) of the invention isa polynucleotide containing the base sequence represented by SEQ ID NO:2 or 3. The polynucleotide which is a chromosomal DNA typified by SEQ IDNO: 2 can be obtained by, for example, preparing a chromosomal DNAlibrary from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain, and screening thechromosomal DNA library by a method known to those skilled in the artusing a plurality of oligonucleotide probes prepared based on amino acidsequences obtained by determining amino acid residues of N-terminal andinternal sequences of an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derivedfrom Aspergillus terreus described in Patent document 1 by the Edmansequencing method or the like, and the genome sequence information ofAspergillus oryzae (NBRC 100959 strain) disclosed in DOGAN (Database ofthe Genomes Analyzed at NITE) (websitehttp://www.bio.nite.go.jp/dogan/Top) in January, 2006 as a result of the“Aspergillus oryzae genome analysis project”.

The labeling of the probe can be performed by an arbitrary method knownto those skilled in the art such as a radioisotope (RI) method or anon-RI method, however, a non-RI method is preferably used. Examples ofthe non-RI method include a fluorescence labeling method, abiotinylation method, and a chemiluminescence method, however, afluorescence labeling method is preferably used. As a fluorescentsubstance, those capable of binding to a base moiety of anoligonucleotide is suitably selected and can be used, and specifically,a cyanine dye (such as Cy3 or Cy5 in Cy Dye™ series), a rhodamine 6Greagent, N-acetoxy-N2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF), AAIF (iodine derivativeof AAF), or the like can be used.

Alternatively, the polynucleotide which is a cDNA typified by SEQ ID NO:3 can be obtained by, for example, as specifically described in Examplesof this specification, any of a variety of PCR methods known to thoseskilled in the art using the oligonucleotide primer (probe) set preparedin the above with a cDNA library as a template, or also by the RT-PCRmethod using the total RNA or mRNA extracted from Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 5375 strain as a template. Incidentally, in the case where a primeris designed, the size (the number of bases) of the primers is from 15 to40 bases, preferably from 15 to 30 bases in consideration of achievingthe specific annealing thereof to a template DNA. However, in the casewhere LA (long and accurate) PCR is performed, the size of at least 30bases is effective. Complementary sequences between the both primersshould be avoided so that a set of or a pair (2 strands) of primerscomprising a sense strand (on the 5′-terminal side) and an antisensestrand (on the 3′-terminal side) may not anneal to each other. Further,in order to secure stable binding to the template DNA, the GC contentshould be about 50% so that GC-rich or AT-rich regions should not beunevenly distributed within the primers. Since the annealing temperaturedepends on Tm (melting temperature), primers having a Tm value in therange from 55 to 65° C. and similar to each other are selected in orderto obtain a highly specific PCR product. In addition, it is necessary tonote that the final concentration of the primers used in PCR should beadjusted to about 0.1 to about 1 μM and the like. Further, acommercially available software for primer designing, for example,Oligo™ (manufactured by National Bioscience, Inc. (U.S.A.)), GENETYX(manufactured by Software Development Co., Ltd.), or the like can bealso used.

Incidentally, such an oligonucleotide probe or an oligonucleotide primerset can also be prepared by cleaving the cDNA which is thepolynucleotide of the invention with a suitable restriction enzyme.

Further, the polynucleotide of the invention can be prepared bymodifying the above-mentioned cDNA of the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain by aknown mutation introduction method, a mutagenic PCR method, or the like.Further, the polynucleotide of the invention can be obtained from achromosomal DNA of an Aspergillus oryzae strain other than NBRC 5375strain or a cDNA library thereof by a probe hybridization method usingan oligonucleotide prepared based on the nucleotide sequence informationof SEQ ID NO: 1. The polynucleotide can be obtained by variouslychanging stringent conditions when performing hybridization. Thestringent conditions are defined by a salt concentration, an organicsolvent (such as formaldehyde) concentration, a temperature, and thelike in the hybridization and washing steps, and for example, variousconditions known to those skilled in the art as disclosed in thedescription of U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,037 or the like can be adopted.

Further, the polynucleotide of the invention can be synthesized in vitroby a well-known chemical synthesis technique as described in a document(such as Carruthers (1982) Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant. Biol. 47:411-418; Adams (1983) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 105: 661; Belousov (1997)Nucleic Acid Res. 25: 3440-3444; Frenkel (1995) Free Radic. Biol. Med.19: 373-380; Blommers (1994) Biochemistry 33: 7886-7896; Narang (1979)Meth. Enzymol. 68: 90; Brown (1979) Meth. Enzymol. 68: 109; Beaucage(1981) Tetra. Lett. 22: 1859; or U.S. Pat. No. 4,458,066).

The recombinant vector of the invention is a cloning vector or anexpression vector, and an appropriate recombinant vector is useddepending on the kind of a polynucleotide to be used as an insert, anintended use thereof, or the like. For example, in the case where anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase is produced using a cDNA or an ORFregion thereof as an insert, an expression vector for in vitrotranscription, or an expression vector suitable for the respectiveprokaryotic cells such as Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis; andeukaryotic cells such as yeasts, filamentous fungi (such as molds),insect cells, and mammalian cells can be used.

As the transformant cell of the invention, for example, a prokaryoticcell such as Escherichia coli or Bacillus subtilis; a eukaryotic cellsuch as a yeast, a mold, an insect cell, or a mammalian cell; or thelike can be used. Such a transformant cell can be prepared byintroducing a recombinant vector into a cell by a known method such asan electroporation method, a calcium phosphate method, a liposomemethod, or a DEAE dextran method. Specific examples of the recombinantvector and the transformant cell include a recombinant vector shown inthe below-mentioned Examples and a transformed Escherichia coli and atransformed mold prepared with this vector.

In the case where the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of theinvention is produced by expressing a DNA in a microorganism such asEscherichia coli, a recombinant expression vector in which theabove-mentioned polynucleotide is introduced into an expression vectorhaving an origin, a promoter, a ribosome-binding site, a DNA cloningsite, a terminator sequence, and the like and replicable in themicroorganism is prepared, a host cell is transformed with thisexpression vector, and the resulting transformant is cultured, wherebythe FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can be produced in a largeamount in the microorganism. At this time, if a start codon and a stopcodon are introduced upstream and downstream of an arbitrary codingregion and the DNA is expressed, an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenasefragment containing the arbitrary region can also be obtained.Alternatively, the enzyme can also be expressed as a fusion protein withanother protein. By cleaving this fusion protein with a suitableprotease, the target FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can also beobtained. Examples of the expression vector for Escherichia coli includea pUC system, pBluescript II, a pET expression system, a pGEX expressionsystem, and a pCold expression system.

Alternatively, in the case where the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase is produced by expressing it in a eukaryotic cell, arecombinant vector is prepared by inserting the above-mentionedpolynucleotide into an expression vector for a eukaryotic cell having apromoter, a splicing region, a poly(A) addition site, and the like, andthe resulting recombinant vector is introduced into a eukaryotic cell,whereby the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can be produced in theeukaryotic cell. The polynucleotide can be maintained in a cell in astate of a plasmid or the like, or can be maintained by incorporatingthe polynucleotide into a chromosome. Examples of the expression vectorinclude pKA1, pCDM8, pSVK3, pSVL, pBK-CMV, pBK-RSV, an EBV vector, pRS,and pYE82. Further, if pIND/V5-His, pFLAG-CMV-2, pEGFP-N1, pEGFP-C1, orthe like is used as the expression vector, an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase polypeptide can also be expressed as a fusion protein towhich any of a variety of tags such as a His tag, a FLAG tag, or GFP hasbeen attached. As the eukaryotic cell, a cultured mammalian cell such asa monkey kidney cell COS-7, or a Chinese hamster ovary cell CHO; abudding yeast, a fission yeast, a mold, a silkworm cell, or a Xenopusoocyte is generally used, however, any kind of eukaryotic cell may beused as long as it can express the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase.In order to introduce the expression vector into the eukaryotic cell, aknown method such as an electroporation method, a calcium phosphatemethod, a liposome method, or a DEAE dextran method can be used.

In particular, self-cloning in which an appropriate Aspergillus oryzaestrain is transformed with a recombinant vector containing apolynucleotide encoding the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of theinvention derived from Aspergillus oryzae is preferred.

In order to isolate and purify the target protein from a culture (suchas microbial cells or a culture broth or a culture medium compositioncontaining the enzyme secreted to the outside of microbial cells) afterthe FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase is expressed in a prokaryoticcell or a eukaryotic cell, known separation procedures can be combined.Examples of such procedures include a treatment with a denaturant suchas urea or a surfactant, a heat treatment, a pH treatment, anultrasonication treatment, enzymatic digestion, salting out, a solventsedimentation method, dialysis, centrifugal separation, ultrafiltration,gel filtration, SDS-PAGE, isoelectric focusing, ion exchangechromatography, hydrophobic chromatography, reverse-phasechromatography, and affinity chromatography (also including a methodutilizing a tag sequence, and a method using a polyclonal antibody or amonoclonal antibody specific for the FAD coenzyme-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase).

Further, the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can be obtained by arecombinant DNA technique using the polynucleotide (a cDNA or a codingregion thereof) of the invention. For example, an RNA is prepared by invitro transcription from a vector containing the above-mentionedpolynucleotide, and in vitro translation is performed using the RNA as atemplate, whereby the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can beobtained in vitro. Further, if the polynucleotide is recombined into asuitable expression vector by a known method, the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase encoded by the polynucleotide can be expressed in a largeamount in a prokaryotic cell such as Escherichia coli or Bacillussubtilis; or a eukaryotic cell such as a yeast, a mold, an insect cell,or a mammalian cell. Further, a polynucleotide having the same aminoacid sequence but having a codon usage optimized in accordance with thehost may be introduced thereinto. Further, the host can be suitablyselected in accordance with the need of a sugar chain or other peptidemodification.

In the case where the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase is producedby expressing it in vitro, a recombinant vector is prepared by insertingthe above-mentioned polynucleotide into a vector having a promoter towhich an RNA polymerase can bind, and this vector is added to an invitro translation system such as a rabbit reticulocyte lysate or a wheatgerm extract including an RNA polymerase corresponding to the promoter,whereby the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase can be produced invitro. Examples of the promoter to which an RNA polymerase can bindinclude T3, T7, and SP6. Examples of the vector containing such apromoter include pKA1, pCDM8, pT3/T718, pT7/319, and pBluescript II.

The recombinant FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of the inventioncan be produced by the method described above. Such an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase is an enzyme which catalyzes a reaction of thedehydrogenation of glucose in the presence of an electron acceptor, andtherefore, the use thereof is not particularly limited as long as achange caused by this reaction can be utilized. For example, it can beused in the medical field or the clinical field such as the use in thedetermination of glucose in a sample containing a biological material, areagent for use in the determination thereof, or a reagent for use inthe elimination thereof, and also it can be used in the production of asubstance using a coenzyme-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase.

The reagent composition for use in the determination of glucose of theinvention may be formulated into a single reagent by mixing all thecomponents, or in the case where the reagent composition containscomponents interfering with each other, the respective components areseparated so as to provide suitable combinations. Further, the reagentcomposition may be prepared as a reagent in the form of a solution or apowder, and moreover, it may be prepared as a test paper or a film foruse in the analysis by being incorporated in an appropriate support suchas a filter paper or a film. Incidentally, a standard reagent containinga deproteinizing agent such as perchloric acid or a fixed amount ofglucose may be attached. The amount of the enzyme in this composition ispreferably about 0.1 to 50 units per sample. Examples of a specimen tobe determined for glucose include plasma, serum, spinal fluid, saliva,and urine.

The biosensor of the invention is a glucose sensor which determines aglucose concentration in a sample liquid using a reaction layercontaining the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of the invention asan enzyme. The biosensor is produced by, for example, forming anelectrode system comprising a working electrode, its counter electrode,and a reference electrode on an insulating base plate using a methodsuch as screen printing, and forming an enzyme reaction layer containinga hydrophilic polymer, an oxidoreductase, and an electron acceptor onthis electrode system in contact therewith. When a sample liquidcontaining a substrate is dropped on the enzyme reaction layer of thisbiosensor, the enzyme reaction layer is dissolved and the enzyme and thesubstrate are reacted with each other, and accompanying the reaction,the electron acceptor is reduced. After completion of the enzymaticreaction, the reduced electron acceptor is electrochemically oxidized.At this time, this biosensor can determine the substrate concentrationin the sample liquid from the oxidation current value obtained. Inaddition, other than this, a biosensor of a type for detecting acoloring intensity or a pH change can also be constructed.

As the electron acceptor of the biosensor, a chemical substance havingan excellent ability to donate and accept electrons can be used. Thechemical substance having an excellent ability to donate and acceptelectrons is a chemical substance generally called “an electroncarrier”, “a mediator”, or “a redox mediator”, and as a chemicalsubstance corresponding to such a substance, an electron carrier or aredox mediator cited in, for example, JP-T-2002-526759 or the like maybe used. Specific examples thereof include an osmium compound, a quinonecompound, and a ferricyan compound.

In the determination of the activity of the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase, the enzyme is preferably used by appropriately dilutingit such that the final concentration thereof is 0.1 to 1.0 unit/mL.Incidentally, the unit of the enzymatic activity (unit) of the enzyme isan enzymatic activity that oxidizes 1 μmol of glucose per minute. Theenzymatic activity of the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of theinvention can be determined by the following method.

[Method for Determination of Enzymatic Activity]

1.0 mL of 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.0), 1.0 mL of 1.0 MD-glucose, 0.14 mL of 3 mM 2,6-dichlorophenol indophenol (hereinafterreferred to as DCIP), 0.2 mL of 3 mM 1-methoxy-5-methylphenaziniummethylsulfate, and 0.61 mL of water are added to a 3-mL quartz cell(light path length: 1 cm), and the cell is placed in a spectrophotometerprovided with a thermostat cell holder and incubated at 37° C. for 5minutes. Thereafter, 0.05 mL of an enzyme solution is added to the cell,and then, a change in the absorbance of DCIP at 600 nm (AABS/min) isdetermined. The molar extinction coefficient of DCIP at pH 7.0 is takenas 16.3×10³ cm⁻¹M⁻¹, and the enzymatic activity to reduce 1 μmol of DCIPper minute is substantially equivalent to 1 unit of the enzymaticactivity. Therefore, the enzymatic activity was determined from thechange in the absorbance according to the following equation.Enzymatic activity (unit/mL)=−ΔABS/16.3×3.0/0.05×Dilution ratio ofenzyme  [Equation 1]

In the determination of the protein concentration of this enzyme, theenzyme is preferably used by appropriately diluting it such that thefinal concentration thereof is 0.2 to 0.9 mg/mL. The proteinconcentration in the invention can be determined by the calculation froma calibration curve prepared using bovine serum albumin (BSA,manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd., for biochemicalpurpose) as a standard substance using a Bio-Rad Protein Assay, which isa protein concentration determination kit and can be purchased fromBio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. Japan according to the instruction attachedto the kit.

Incidentally, various techniques used for implementing the invention canbe easily and surely carried out by those skilled in the art based onpublicly known documents and the like exclusive of techniques thesources of which are indicated specifically. For example, the geneticengineering and molecular biological techniques can be carried out basedon the methods described in Sambrook and Maniatis, in Molecular Cloning:A Laboratory Manual, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York,1989; Ausubel, F. M. et al., Current Protocols in Molecular Biology,John Wiley & Sons, New York, N.Y., 1995; and the like or the methodsdescribed in the references cited therein or methods substantiallyequivalent thereto or modified methods thereof. In addition, the termsin the invention are basically in accordance with IUPAC-IUB Commissionon Biochemical Nomenclature or the meanings of terms conventionally usedin the art.

Hereinafter, the invention will be more specifically described withreference to Examples. However, the technical scope of the invention isby no means limited to the description thereof. Further, the contentsdescribed in the documents cited in this description constitute thedisclosure of this description as a part thereof.

Example 1

(Cloning of Gene Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseDerived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 Strain into Escherichia coli)

(1) Culture of Microbial Cells

A liquid culture medium containing 1% (w/v) glucose (manufactured byNacalai Tesque), 2% (w/v) defatted soybean (manufactured by Showa SangyoCo., Ltd.), 0.5% (w/v) corn steep liquor (manufactured by San-eiSucrochemical Co., Ltd.), 0.1% (w/v) magnesium sulfate heptahydrate(manufactured by Nacalai Tesque), and water was adjusted to pH 6.0, anda 100 mL portion thereof was placed in a 500 mL Sakaguchi flask andautoclaved at 121° C. for 20 minutes. In the cooled liquid culturemedium, Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain was inoculated and subjectedto shaking culture at 28° C. for 48 hours. Thereafter, the wet microbialcells (15.5 g) were collected using a centrifugal separator.

(2) Confirmation of Activity of FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase ofAspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 Strain

The microbial cells obtained in (1) were suspended in 50 mM potassiumphosphate buffer (pH 7.5) and homogenized using sea sand B (manufacturedby Nacalai Tesque). Then, the resulting homogenate was centrifuged andthe supernatant was collected and used as a cell-free extract.

According to the above-mentioned method for the determination ofenzymatic activity, the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity ofthe cell-free extract was confirmed, and the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity per cell-free extract was confirmed to be 0.0043U/mL.

(3) Isolation of Total RNA

Among the microbial cells obtained in (1), 0.31 g of the wet microbialcells were frozen in liquid nitrogen, and then homogenized, and thetotal RNA was extracted using ISOGEN (manufactured by Nippon Gene Co.,Ltd.).

(4) RT-PCR

RT-PCR was performed under the following conditions using a TaKaRa RNALA PCR Kit (AMV) Ver. 1.1 (manufactured by Takara Bio Inc.), and PCRproducts containing a gene of about 1.8 kbp presumed to be anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase were obtained.

Template: Total RNA extracted in (3)

Primer:

Primer 1: (SEQ ID NO: 6) 5′-tgggatcctatgctcttctcactggcat-3′ Primer 2:(SEQ ID NO: 7) 5′-gccaagcttctaagcactcttcgcatcctccttaatcaagtc-3′

Incidentally, the primers 1 and 2 were synthesized based on the basesequence of AO090005000449 (presumed to be “a choline dehydrogenase”)from the result of the gene analysis of Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 100959strain disclosed in the above-mentioned DOGAN (Database of the GenomesAnalyzed at NITE) (website http://www.bio.nite.go.jp/dogan/Top).

It is because the above-mentioned AO090005000449 was presumed not to bea choline dehydrogenase gene, but to be an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase gene of Aspergillus oryzae based on the base sequenceinformation of an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase gene ofAspergillus terreus found by the present inventors.

Reaction conditions: Reverse transcription reaction at 42° C. for 30minutes (1 cycle)

Denaturation at 99° C. for 5 minutes (1 cycle)

Cooling at 5° C. for 5 minutes (1 cycle)

Denaturation at 94° C. for 2 minutes (1 cycle)

Denaturation at 94° C. for 30 seconds, annealing at 45° C. for 30seconds, and elongation reaction at 72° C. for 1 minute 30 seconds (25cycles)

Elongation reaction at 72° C. for 5 minutes (1 cycle)

(5) Preparation of Plasmid Containing Gene Presumed to be FAD-ConjugatedGlucose Dehydrogenase

The PCR amplified fragments obtained in (4) were cleaved withrestriction enzymes BamHI and HindIII, and ligated to a pUC18 vector(manufactured by Takara Bio, Inc.) treated with the same restrictionenzymes using a DNA Ligation Kit Ver. 2.1 (manufactured by Takara Bio,Inc.), and a plasmid containing the gene presumed to be anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase was prepared.

(6) Production of Transformant

The plasmid obtained in (5) was introduced into E. coli JM109 CompetentCells (manufactured by Takara Bio, Inc.), and transformation wasperformed. The cells were cultured overnight in an LB plate containingampicillin sodium (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.)at 37° C., and thereafter, it was confirmed that the plasmid containingthe gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase wasintroduced into one grown colony by direct PCR, and then, thetransformant was obtained in the LB plate containing ampicillin sodium.

Example 2

(Cloning of Gene Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseDerived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 Strain into Aspergillusoryzae)

(1) Extraction of Chromosomal DNA

Among the wet microbial cells obtained in Example 1(1), a 0.25 g portionthereof was frozen in liquid nitrogen, and then homogenized, and achromosomal DNA was extracted by a common procedure.

(2) Cloning of Gene Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase

As a host to be used, Aspergillus oryzae NS4 strain was used. Thisstrain was bred in Brewery Laboratory in 1997 as described in a publiclyknown document 1 (Biosci. Biotech. Biochem., 61 (8), 1367-1369, 1997)and has been used in the analysis of transcription factors, the breedingof high-producing strains of various enzymes, and the like, and thosefor distribution are available.

For this strain, a modified amylase gene promoter derived fromAspergillus oryzae described in a publicly known document 2 (Developmentof the heterologous gene expression system for Aspergillus species,MINETOKI Toshitaka, Chemistry & Biology, 38, 12, pp. 831-838, 2000) wasused, and a gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenaseand amplified using the chromosomal DNA obtained in (1) as a templateand also using the following primers synthesized based on the basesequence of AO090005000449 disclosed in DOGAN (Database of the GenomesAnalyzed at NITE) (website http://www.bio.nite.go.jp/dogan/Top) wasligated to downstream of the promoter, whereby a vector which canexpress this gene was prepared.

1. gene IF:

(SEQ ID NO: 8) 5′-(acgcgtcgac)tgaccaattccgcagctcgtcaaaatgctcttctcactggcattcctga-3′2. gene IR:

(SEQ ID NO: 9) 5′-(gtg)ctaagcactcttcgcatcctccttaatcaagtcgg-3′(F is the 5′ side, and R is the 3′ side, bases in the parenthesis:restriction enzyme cleavage sites, underlined bases: enoA 5′-UTR,others: ORF)

Transformation was performed basically in accordance with the methodsdescribed in the publicly known document 2 and a publicly known document3 (Genetic engineering technology of Koji mold for sake, GOMI Katsuya,Journal of the Brewing Society of Japan, pp. 494-502, 2000), whereby atransformant was obtained.

Comparative Example

(Cloning of Gene (AO090005000449) Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated GlucoseDehydrogenase Derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 100959 Strain intoAspergillus oryzae)

(1) Culture of Microbial Cells

A liquid culture medium containing 1% (w/v) glucose, 2% (w/v) defattedsoybean, 0.5% (w/v) corn steep liquor, 0.1% (w/v) magnesium sulfateheptahydrate and water was adjusted to pH 6.0, and a 100 mL portionthereof was placed in a 500 mL Sakaguchi flask and autoclaved at 121° C.for 20 minutes. In the cooled liquid culture medium, Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 100959 strain was inoculated and subjected to shaking culture at28° C. for 48 hours. Thereafter, the microbial cells (10.5 g) werecollected using a centrifugal separator.

(2) Extraction of Chromosomal DNA

Among the microbial cells obtained in (1), 0.31 g of the wet microbialcells were frozen in liquid nitrogen, and then homogenized, and achromosomal DNA was extracted by a common procedure.

(3) Cloning of Gene (AO090005000449 Gene) Presumed to be FAD-ConjugatedGlucose Dehydrogenase

As a host to be used, Aspergillus oryzae NS4 strain was used. Thisstrain was bred in Brewery Laboratory in 1997 as described in thepublicly known document 1, and has been used in the analysis oftranscription factors, the breeding of high-producing strains of variousenzymes, and the like, and those for distribution are available.

For this strain, a modified amylase gene promoter derived fromAspergillus oryzae described in the publicly known document 2 was used,and a gene (AO090005000449 gene) presumed to be an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase and amplified using the chromosomal DNA obtainedin (2) as a template and also using the primers (SEQ ID NOS: 8 and 9)used in Example 2 was ligated to downstream of the promoter, whereby avector which can express this gene was prepared.

Transformation was performed basically in accordance with the methodsdescribed in the publicly known documents 2 and 3, whereby atransformant was obtained.

Example 3

(Confirmation of Gene Sequence)

(1) Sequence of Gene Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseDerived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 Strain in RecombinantEscherichia coli

The sequence determination of the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strainin the recombinant Escherichia coli obtained in Example 1 was performed,and the result is shown in SEQ ID NO: 3. The sequence shown in SEQ IDNO: 3 was compared with a cDNA sequence obtained by removing the intronfrom the base sequence of the gene (AO090005000449) presumed to be anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase in Comparative example, and it wasfound that the sequence of ATG at positions 604 to 606 with the startbase A of AO090005000449 counted as position 1 was different from thatof the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenasederived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain which had the sequenceof GCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT represented by SEQ ID NO: 5 instead, and the othersequences agreed completely with each other.

Further, the translated amino acid sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1,and a comparison of the amino acid sequences was made in the samemanner, and it was found that the amino acid residue M at position 202with the start amino acid residue M of AO090005000449 counted asposition 1 was different from that of the amino acid sequence encoded bythe gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derivedfrom Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain which had the sequence ofAGVPWV represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 instead, and the other sequencesagreed completely with each other.

(2) Sequence of Gene Presumed to be FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseDerived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 Strain in Recombinant Mold

The sequence determination of the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strainin the recombinant mold obtained in Example 2 was performed, and theresult is shown in SEQ ID NO: 2. The sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 2 wascompared with the base sequence of the gene (AO090005000449) presumed tobe an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase in Comparative example, andit was found that the sequence of ATG at positions 656 to 658 with thestart base A of AO090005000449 counted as position 1 was different fromthat of the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenasederived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain which had the sequenceof GCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT represented by SEQ ID NO: 5 instead.

Further, the translated amino acid sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 anda comparison of the amino acid sequences was made in the same manner,and it was found that the amino acid residue M at position 202 with thestart amino acid residue M of AO090005000449 (presumed to be a cholinedehydrogenase) counted as position 1 was different from that of theamino acid sequence encoded by the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strainwhich had the sequence of AGVPWV represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 instead,and the other sequences agreed completely with each other.

(Comparison of Gene Sequences)

From the above results, it was found that in the strains of Examples 1and 2 and the strain of Comparative example, the genes presumed to be anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase had a similar gene sequence,however, as compared with the sequence of the gene of AO090005000449derived from the strain of Comparative example, the sequence of the genederived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain in each of Examples 1and 2 had the sequence of GCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT represented by SEQ ID NO: 5in place of the sequence of ATG at positions 656 to 658. Further, when acomparison of the amino acid sequences was made, it was found that theamino acid sequence encoded by the gene derived from Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 5375 strain had AGVPWV represented by SEQ ID NO: 4 in place of theamino acid residue M in the vicinity of position 202 of AO090005000449.

Example 4

(Analysis and Comparison at Gene Level)

(1) Confirmation by Southern Blotting

From wet microbial cells cultured using each of the strains obtained inExample 2 and Comparative example, DNA was extracted by a commonprocedure, and detection was performed by Southern blotting using a partof the gene presumed to be the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase as aprobe.

As a result, it was found that in each of the strains, a DNA fragmentcontaining the gene presumed to be the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase ligated to the modified amylase gene promoter derived fromAspergillus oryzae was contained in substantially the same copy number.

That is, it was found that in each of the strains obtained in Example 2and Comparative example, the gene was contained in substantially thesame copy number by transformation.

(2) Confirmation by Northern Blotting

From wet microbial cells cultured using each of the strains obtained inExample 2 and Comparative example, RNA was extracted by a commonprocedure, and detection was performed by Northern blotting using a partof the gene presumed to be the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase as aprobe.

As a result, it was found that in each of the strains, which weretransformed a mRNA fragment presumed to be derived from theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase gene ligated to the modifiedamylase gene promoter derived from Aspergillus oryzae was detected tosubstantially the same extent. That is, it could be determined that ineach of the strains obtained in Example 2 and Comparative example, thegene presumed to be the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase wastranscribed into an RNA to substantially the same extent.

Example 5

(Confirmation of FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase Activity inTransformed Strain)

The microbial cells of Example 1 were subjected to shaking culture in anLB liquid culture medium containing 50 μg/mL ampicillin sodium and 0.1mM isopropyl-β-D-1-thiogalactopyranoside (manufactured by Sigma-AldrichJapan KK) at 37° C. for 17 hours. After completion of the culture, themicrobial cells were collected, suspended in 50 mM potassium phosphatebuffer (pH 7.0), and homogenized using an ultrasonic homogenizer. Then,the resulting homogenate was centrifuged and the supernatant wascollected, whereby a cell-free extract was obtained.

When the cell-free extract was subjected to SDS-PAGE, an enzyme proteinhaving a molecular weight of about 63 kDa could be confirmed, and theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity per cell-free extract wasconfirmed to be 0.014 U/mL. Incidentally, this activity was not at allconfirmed in Escherichia coli used as the host.

The microbial cells of each of Example 2 and Comparative example weresubjected to shaking culture at 28° C. for 3 days in a liquid culturemedium containing 1% peptone, 2% sucrose, 0.5% dipotassium hydrogenphosphate, and 0.05% magnesium sulfate. After completion of the culture,the microbial cells and the culture supernatant were collected bycentrifugation. The microbial cells were suspended in 50 mM potassiumphosphate buffer (pH 7.0) and homogenized using a chip-type ultrasonichomogenizer. Then, the resulting homogenate was centrifuged and thesupernatant was collected and used as a cell-free extract.

When the culture supernatant and the cell-free extract were subjected toSDS-PAGE, in the case of the microbial cells of Example 2, an enzymeprotein having a molecular weight of about 86 kDa could be confirmed inthe culture supernatant, however, in the case of the microbial cells ofComparative example, the protein could not be confirmed in the culturesupernatant or the cell-free extract.

Further, in accordance with the above-mentioned method for thedetermination of enzymatic activity, the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity in the culture supernatant and the cell-freeextract was confirmed, and in the case of the microbial cells of Example2, the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity of 53 U/mL wasconfirmed in the culture supernatant, however, in the case of themicrobial cells of Comparative example, the activity could not beconfirmed at all in the culture supernatant or the cell-free extract.

(Conclusion)

When summarizing the findings of Examples 3 to 5, it can be concludedthat although Example 2 and Comparative example are comparable in termsof the transformed gene copy number and its transcription level, thesequences presumed to be the gene of the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase transformed are subtly different, and the differencebetween the gene sequences largely affects the expression of theenzymatic activity.

Example 6

(Comparison Among Other Aspergillus oryzae Strains)

For several other Aspergillus oryzae strains, the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity in the culture supernatant and the cell-freeextract (CFE) was confirmed in the same manner as in Example 1-(2).Further, for each of these strains, a chromosomal DNA was extracted inthe same manner as in Example 2-(1), and the sequence of a fragment ofabout 1.9 kbp amplified using the primers represented by SEQ ID NOS: and7 was determined and compared with the sequence represented by SEQ IDNO: 2 and with the chromosomal DNA sequence of AO090005000449. Further,the translated amino acid sequence was compared with the sequencerepresented by SEQ ID NO: 1 and with the amino acid sequence ofAO090005000449. These results are shown in the following Table 1 alongwith the results of Examples 1 to 3 and Comparative example. As for thesequence, particularly, the presence or absence of the amino acidsequence of AGVPWV described in Example 3-(1) is shown in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Presence or absence of FAD-conjugated glucose Presence orabsence of Strain dehydrogenase activity in amino acid sequence:(Aspergillus oryzae) culture supernatant or CFE AGVPWV NBRC 5375Presence Presence NBRC 100959 Absence Absence NBRC 4079 PresencePresence NBRC 4203 Presence Presence NBRC 4214 Presence Presence NBRC4268 Presence Presence NBRC 5238 Presence Presence NBRC 6215 PresencePresence NBRC 30104 Presence Presence NBRC 30113 Presence Presence NBRC4181 Absence Absence NBRC 4220 Absence Absence

All of the chromosomal DNA sequences derived from Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 4079, 4214, 4268, 5238, 6215, and 30113 agreed completely with thesequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2.

The chromosomal DNA sequence derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 4203was different in four bases (135C→A, 437G→A, 532G→A, 1263C→T) from thesequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2. Further, the amino acid sequencetranslated from the chromosomal DNA sequence derived from Aspergillusoryzae NBRC 4203 was different in two amino acid residues (129V→I,386A→V) from the sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1.

Further, the chromosomal DNA sequence derived from Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 30104 was different in four bases (135C→A, 413C→A, 437G→A, 532G→A)from the sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2. Further, the amino acidsequence translated from the chromosomal DNA sequence derived fromAspergillus oryzae NBRC 30104 was different in two amino acid residues(121R→S, 129V→I) from the sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1. It wasconsidered that the difference between these amino acid sequences didnot directly affect the expression of the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase.

Further, both of the chromosomal DNA sequences derived from Aspergillusoryzae NBRC 4181 and 4220 agreed completely with the chromosomal DNAsequence of AO090005000449.

From the results of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative example, it wasconcluded that the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain was agene encoding an active form of an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase,and also that the gene presumed to be an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 100959 strain(AO090005000449 gene) was not a gene encoding an active form of anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase. The AO090005000449 gene encodesthe amino acid sequence very similar to that of an FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase derived from NBRC 5375 strain, and therefore, inthe light of the technical common knowledge in this technical field, itis assumed that the enzyme has a similar enzymatic activity. However, itwas unexpectedly found for the first time by the present inventors that,in fact, as shown in Comparative example, the enzyme was not expressedby the sequences of the AO090005000449 gene, NBRC 4181 gene, and 4220gene. Even though a similar expression system was used, theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase was expressed or not expresseddepending only on the difference of the above-mentioned sequence.Therefore, though it is only a hypothesis, the amino acid sequence:AGVPWV contained in the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derivedfrom Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 5375 strain or the like is considered to bean important sequence for forming the conformation of the FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase, and it is presumed that when the sequence ofAGVPWV is lacking, endoplasmic reticulum stress or the like occurs tocause the degradation of the expressed protein and/or the suppression ofthe expression of the protein. The presence of the amino acid sequence:AGVPWV in the vicinity of position 202 with the initiator amino acidresidue M counted as position 1 is important for expressing thefunction. In this connection, which amino acid residue in this sequenceis essential for expressing the activity is currently being studied,however, there is a possibility that even if a part of the amino acidresidues are lost, substituted, or added, the activity can be maintainedto some extent. Further, as for the region other than the amino acidsequence: AGVPWV, substitution of several amino acid residues found fromthe analysis of the genes of Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 4203 andAspergillus oryzae NBRC 30104 did not affect the expression of theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase.

Example 7

(Test for Properties of FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase)

The culture supernatant of the microbial cells of Example 2 obtained inExample 5 was concentrated with Vivacell 2 having a fractionationmolecular weight of 10000 (manufactured by Vivascience, Inc.), and thenreplaced with distilled water, whereby a purified enzyme having aspecific activity per protein of 323 U/mg was obtained. Incidentally,enzymes derived from other strains showing an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity could be purified in the same manner. When thesepurified enzymes were subjected to SDS-PAGE, a single band of about 86kDa could be confirmed. This enzyme was examined for its activity,substrate specificity, and coenzyme. The enzymatic activity wasdetermined according to the above-mentioned method for the determinationof enzymatic activity.

1) Activity

The purified enzyme was reacted with 500 mM D-glucose in the presence of8.66 mM DCIP, and the reaction product was determined using a D-gluconicacid/D-glucono-δ-lactone assay kit. As a result, the production ofD-gluconic acid was confirmed, and accordingly, it was revealed that theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase of the invention was an enzymewhich catalyzed a reaction of the oxidation of a hydroxy group at the1-position of D-glucose.

2) Substrate Specificity

As a substrate in a reaction solution for the determination of activityin the above-mentioned method for the determination of enzymaticactivity, D-glucose, maltose, and D-galactose were used, and theenzymatic activity of the purified enzyme was determined according tothe method for the determination of enzymatic activity. The enzyme hadan activity such that the value of enzymatic activity for maltose was2.1% and the value of enzymatic activity for D-galactose was 0.99% withthe value of enzymatic activity for D-glucose taken as 100%.

3) Coenzyme

D-glucose was added to the purified enzyme, and absorption spectroscopywas performed. As a result, the absorption maxima observed at 385 nm and465 nm disappeared by the addition, and therefore, it was revealed thatthe coenzyme was FAD.

Example 8

(Determination of Glucose with Enzyme-Immobilized Electrode)

By using the purified enzyme described in Example 7, the determinationof D-glucose with an enzyme-immobilized electrode was performed. Byusing a glassy carbon (GC) electrode on which 1.5 U of this enzyme wasimmobilized, a response current to the glucose concentration wasdetermined. To an electrolytic cell, 1.8 mL of 50 mM potassium phosphatebuffer (pH 6.0) and 0.2 mL of a 1 M aqueous solution of potassiumhexacyanoferrate(III) (potassium ferricyanide) were added. The GCelectrode was connected to a potentiostat BAS 100B/W (manufactured byBAS, Inc.), and the solution was stirred at 37° C., and +500 mV wasapplied to a silver-silver chloride reference electrode. To such asystem, a 1 MD-glucose solution was added such that the finalconcentration of D-glucose became 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 mM, and acurrent in a steady state was determined for each addition operation.The current values were plotted against the known glucose concentrations(5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mM), whereby a calibration curve was prepared(FIG. 1). From this, it was shown that glucose could be quantitativelydetermined with an enzyme-immobilized electrode using the FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase of the invention.

Example 9

(Confirmation of FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase Gene by PCR)

(1) Culture of Microbial Cells

A liquid culture medium containing 1% (w/v) glucose (manufactured byNacalai Tesque), 2% (w/v) defatted soybean (manufactured by Showa SangyoCo., Ltd.), 0.5% (w/v) corn steep liquor (manufactured by San-eiSucrochemical Co., Ltd.), 0.1% (w/v) magnesium sulfate heptahydrate(manufactured by Nacalai Tesque) and water was adjusted to pH 6.0, and a10 mL portion thereof was placed in a large diameter test tube andautoclaved at 121° C. for 20 minutes. In the cooled liquid culturemedium, as shown in Example 4, Aspergillus oryzae NBRC 4268 strain, NBRC5375 strain, and NBRC 6215 strain confirmed to have a glucosedehydrogenase activity in the culture broth, and Aspergillus oryzae NBRC4181 strain, NBRC 4220 strain, and NBRC 100959 strain confirmed to haveno glucose dehydrogenase activity in the culture broth were inoculatedin the respective test tubes and subjected to shaking culture at 30° C.for 43 hours. Thereafter, the wet microbial cells were collected using acentrifugal separator, respectively.

(2) Extraction of Chromosomal DNA

The wet microbial cells obtained in (1) were frozen in liquid nitrogen,and then homogenized, and a chromosomal DNA was extracted by a commonprocedure.

(3) Amplification of Full-Length FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseGene

PCR was performed under the following conditions using each DNAextracted in (2) as a template and also using primers 3 and 4synthesized based on the sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, and PCRproducts containing an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase gene ofabout 1.9 kbp were obtained.

Template: DNA extracted in (2)

Primers:

Primer 3: (SEQ ID NO: 10) 5′-ttatgctcttctcactggcattcctgagtgccctgt-3′Primer 4: (SEQ ID NO: 11) 5′-gctaagcactcttcgcatcctccttaatcaagtcgg-3′

Reaction conditions: Denaturation at 94° C. for 1 minute (1 cycle)

Denaturation at 94° C. for 30 seconds, annealing at 45° C. for 30seconds, and elongation reaction at 72° C. for 1 minute 30 seconds (30cycles)

Elongation reaction at 72° C. for 10 minutes (1 cycle)

(4) Amplification of Gene of FAD-Conjugated Glucose DehydrogenaseExpressing Activity

PCR was performed under the following conditions using each PCR productobtained in (3) as a template and also using the primer 3 and a primer 5synthesized based on the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV.

Template: PCR product obtained in (3)

Primers:

Primer 3: (SEQ ID NO: 10) 5′-ttatgctcttctcactggcattcctgagtgccctgt-3′Primer 5: (SEQ ID NO: 12) 5′-aacccatggaacaccagc-3′

Reaction conditions: Denaturation at 94° C. for 1 minute (1 cycle)

Denaturation at 94° C. for 30 seconds, annealing at 65° C. for 30seconds, and elongation reaction at 72° C. for 1 minute (30 cycles)

Elongation reaction at 72° C. for 5 minutes (1 cycle)

The results of the detection of the target gene by PCR are shown in FIG.2. It could be confirmed that only the polynucleotide encoding theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzaehaving a glucose dehydrogenase activity in the culture broth wasamplified with a size as predicted by PCR. Incidentally, even when PCRwas performed using the DNA obtained in (2) directly as the template, itcould be confirmed that only the polynucleotide encoding theFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzaehaving a glucose dehydrogenase activity in the culture broth wasamplified with a size as predicted by PCR in the same manner.

Example 10

(Confirmation of FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase Gene by SouthernHybridization)

100 ng of each PCR product obtained in Example 10 (1) was subjected toagarose gel electrophoresis, followed by blotting onto a nylon membrane(Hybond-N+, manufactured by GE Health Care, Inc.), and the membrane wastreated at 80° C. for 71 hours for fixation. After prehybridization, aprobe synthesized based on the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV andfluorescently labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) at the5′-terminus was added thereto, and the membrane was incubated at 37° C.for 24 hours. Then, the membrane was washed at 4° C. with 6×SSC and at50° C. with a tetramethylammonium chloride solution, and thereafter, SDSderived from the tetramethylammonium chloride solution was washed offwith 25 mM TBS. Then, fluorescent detection was performed using an imageanalyzer (Typhoon 9400, manufactured by GE Health Care, Inc.). Thecomposition of the buffer used and the sequence of the probe used areshown below.

Hybridization Buffer:

6×SSC

5×Denhardt's solution

0.5% skim milk

20×SSC:

3 M sodium chloride

0.3 M trisodium citrate

Tetramethylammonium Chloride Solution:

3 M tetramethylammonium chloride

50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.0)

2 mM EDTA

0.1% SDS

Probe: (SEQ ID NO: 5) 5′ (FITC)-gctggtgttccatgggtt-3′

The results of the detection of the target gene by Southernhybridization are shown in FIG. 3. It is found that only thepolynucleotide encoding the FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derivedfrom Aspergillus oryzae having a glucose dehydrogenase activity in theculture broth could be detected by Southern hybridization. Incidentally,even when the confirmation by Southern hybridization is performed byimmobilizing the PCR product obtained in (3) on a nylon membrane(Hybond-N+, manufactured by GE Health Care, Inc.), the same results canbe obtained.

Example 11

(Cloning of Gene that Could be Confirmed to be FAD-Conjugated GlucoseDehydrogenase Gene and Secretion and Production in Cloned Strain)

According to the method described in Example 2, the gene which could beconfirmed to be the polynucleotide encoding the FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae capable of secreting andproducing the glucose dehydrogenase in the culture broth by the methodshown in Example 9 and/or Example 10 was ligated to a vector, theresulting recombinant vector was cloned into a strain, and then, thecloned strain was cultured. As a result, in a culture supernatant, anactive form of the enzyme could be secreted and produced in a largeamount.

Example 12

(Confirmation of Amino Acid Residue that Affects Expression of Activityof FAD-Conjugated Glucose Dehydrogenase Derived from Aspergillus oryzae)

Several mutated enzyme genes in which one amino acid residue among thesix amino acid residues (AGVPWV (the amino acid residues 202 to 207)) ofthe FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzaeNBRC 5375 strain was deleted, a mutated enzyme gene in which all of thesix amino acid residues were deleted, and a mutated enzyme gene havingthe bases encoding Met in place of these six amino acid residues wereprepared, and each of the mutated genes was introduced into Aspergillusoryzae NS4 strain, and the effect on the expression of the activity wasconfirmed. Incidentally, the preparation of the mutated genes wereperformed using a Quikchange Site-Directed Mutagenesis kit manufacturedby Stratagene, Inc., and the introduction of the gene into Aspergillusoryzae was performed according to the method described in Example 2. Theaverage of the activity values (3 strains) per culture medium wascalculated for each of the recombinants (presumed to contain a singlecopy) into which the respective mutated genes were introduced, and theresults are shown in Table 2. From these results, it is stronglysuggested that for the expression of the activity of the FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase derived from Aspergillus oryzae, these six aminoacid residues, particularly the amino acid residues 205 to 207 wereimportant.

TABLE 2 Relative activity (%) with the Mutation site Activity valueactivity of Control (No. 1) taken No. (deletion of amino acid residue)(U/mL) as 100 1 Non (Control) 42 100 2 205 (Pro) 0.04 0.1 or less 3 206(Trp) 0.03 0.1 or less 4 207 (Val) 0.04 0.1 or less 5 202 to 207(Ala-Gly-Val-Pro-Trp-Val) 0.02 0.1 or less 6 Met is introduced into thedeletion site of No. 0.03 0.1 or less 8 in place of 6 amino acidresidues (corresponding to gene of AO090005000449 of Comparativeexample)

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

An FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase encoded by a polynucleotide ofthe invention does not substantially act on maltose in the determinationof blood glucose, and therefore can be utilized also in aself-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) device with higher accuracy, andlargely contributes to self-care and self-treatment by patients withdiabetes.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A process for the production of anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase, comprising: culturing atransformant of filamentous fungus belonging to Aspergillus comprising arecombinant vector containing a polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide(a) or (b) defined below: (a) a polypeptide which comprises the aminoacid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1; or (b) a polypeptide whichcomprises an amino acid sequence having a homology of 90% or more to theamino acid sequence of polypeptide (a) and has an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity, and collecting from the culture anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase having an FAD-conjugated glucosedehydrogenase activity.
 2. The process according to claim 1, wherein thefilamentous fungus belonging to Aspergillus is Aspergillus oryzae. 3.The process according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide (b) comprisesan amino acid sequence having a homology of 95% or more to the aminoacid sequence of polypeptide (a).
 4. The process according to claim 1,wherein the polynucleotide is selected from (d), (e) or (f) definedbelow: (d) a polynucleotide which comprises the base sequencerepresented by SEQ ID NO: 2 or 3; (e) a polynucleotide which: encodes apolypeptide having an FAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity, andhybridizes to a polynucleotide comprising the base sequencecomplementary to the base sequence of polynucleotide (d) under stringentconditions comprising: incubation at 42° C. in 50% formamide, 5×SSC (150mM sodium chloride, 15 mM trisodium citrate, 10 mM sodium phosphate, 1mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, pH 7.2), 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.1%SDS, 10% dextran sulfate, and 100 μg/mL modified salmon sperm DNA,followed by washing at 42° C. in 0.2×SSC; or (f) a polynucleotide whichcomprises a base sequence having a homology of 90% or more to the basesequence of polynucleotide (d) and encodes a polypeptide having anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity.
 5. The process accordingto claim 4, wherein the polynucleotide (f) comprises a base sequencehaving a homology of 95% or more to the base sequence of polynucleotide(d).
 6. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide (b)comprises the amino acid sequence: AGVPWV [SEQ ID NO: 13] at positions202 to 207 of SEQ ID No: 1, provided that an initiator amino acidresidue “M” in a signal sequence region is counted as position
 1. 7. Theprocess according to claim 6, wherein a base sequence encoding the aminoacid sequence: AGVPWV [SEQ ID NO: 13] is GCTGGTGTTCCATGGGTT [SEQ ID NO:5].
 8. The process according to claim 1, wherein the FAD-conjugatedglucose dehydrogenase has a molecular weight of 86 kDa.
 9. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acidsequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 in which isoleucine (I) issubstituted for valine (V) at position 129 and valine (V) is substitutedfor alanine (A) at position
 386. 10. The process according to claim 4,wherein the polynucleotide comprises the base sequence represented bySEQ ID NO: 2 in which adenine (A) is substituted for cytosine (C) atposition 135, adenine (A) is substituted for guanine (G) at positions437 and 532, and thymine (T) is substituted for cytosine (C) at position1263.
 11. The process according to claim 1, wherein the polypeptidecomprises the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 in whichserine (S) is substituted for arginine (R) at position 121 andisoleucine (I) is substituted for valine (V) at position
 129. 12. Theprocess according to claim 4, wherein the polynucleotide comprises thebase sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 in which adenine (A) issubstituted for cytosine (C) at positions 135 and 413, and adenine (A)is substituted for guanine (G) at positions 437 and
 532. 13. The processaccording to claim 1, wherein the filamentous fungus belonging toAspergillus is Aspergillus oryzae NS4 strain.
 14. The process accordingto claim 2, wherein the polypeptide (b) comprises an amino acid sequencehaving a homology of 95% or more to the amino acid sequence ofpolypeptide (a).
 15. The process according to claim 2, wherein thepolynucleotide is selected from (d), (e) or (f) defined below: (d) apolynucleotide which comprises the base sequence represented by SEQ IDNO: 2 or 3; (e) a polynucleotide which: encodes a polypeptide having anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity, and hybridizes to apolynucleotide comprising the base sequence complementary to the basesequence of polynucleotide (d) under stringent conditions comprising:incubation at 42° C. in 50% formamide, 5×SSC (150 mM sodium chloride, 15mM trisodium citrate, 10 mM sodium phosphate, 1 mMethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, pH 7.2), 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.1%SDS, 10% dextran sulfate, and 100 μg/mL modified salmon sperm DNA,followed by washing at 42° C. in 0.2×SSC; or (f) a polynucleotide whichcomprises a base sequence having a homology of 90% or more to the basesequence of polynucleotide (d) and encodes a polypeptide having anFAD-conjugated glucose dehydrogenase activity.
 16. The process accordingto claim 15, wherein the polynucleotide (f) comprises a base sequencehaving a homology of 95% or more to the base sequence of polynucleotide(d).
 17. The process according to claim 15, wherein the polynucleotidecomprises the base sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2 in which adenine(A) is substituted for cytosine (C) at position 135, adenine (A) issubstituted for guanine (G) at positions 437 and 532, and thymine (T) issubstituted for cytosine (C) at position
 1263. 18. The process accordingto claim 15, wherein the polynucleotide comprises the base sequencerepresented by SEQ ID NO: 2 in which adenine (A) is substituted forcytosine (C) at positions 135 and 413, and adenine (A) is substitutedfor guanine (G) at positions 437 and 532.